The Heart of a Lion
by Annabelle Graceton
Summary: A companion story to A Mouse's Tale, The Heart of a Lion follows a young man along a familiar storyline, allowing the reader to see one story from a completely different perspective, creating a whole new story just waiting to be read.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Hey Lion!" a voice called out to him as he passed by. As if in response, the wind suddenly picked up, blowing through his long blonde hair, accentuating the trait that had resulted in his new nickname.

"Ironfist want to see you!" the voice continued, giving the nickname of the head Commander of their out post. Ironfist was a strict, no nonsense kind of guy who took his job very seriously.

_Oh great,_ he thought as he turned around and headed towards Ironfist's office. _What did I do this time?_ He tried to think of what he had done over the past couple of days. He had gotten into a small fight recently, but that was because someone had talked badly about his family and that was not something that he could just let slide by, even though fighting among comrades was strictly forbidden and could result in the expulsion from Knighthood.

_But Evan's not a snitch,_ he thought as he reflected on the fight. _And he wouldn't risk losing his title by telling, especially since the fight was his fault to being with!_

Evan McHarvenfort was the spoiled, stuck up son of the Duke of Henedel, a small town in the far south-western corner of the Kingdom of Keiento, which though it was thousands of miles away from their outpost in Lorn, a town close to the northern mountain border of the Kingdom of Decura, the snotty brat refused to let his companions forget it.

_And he especially won't let me forget it,_ he sighed. They had once been friends, Evan and him. He had grown up with the Duke's son when his family had moved to Henedel three years after he was born. They used to play together, fighting off invisible enemies with their wooden swords. But then Evan's true colours began to show.

_After my father left,_ he clenched his fists in anger. His father had left them when he was only eleven years old. The man that he had once looked up to with awe and respect left his mother for another woman. His older brother, Samuel, was away on duty during that time, so he was left alone, struggling to provide for his mother and his newborn little brother, Leopold. This was a time when he needed a friend for support, someone he could turn to for help. But when he had shared his story with Evan, the boy had just laughed at him, telling him that the reason that his father had left was because he didn't love them and escaping with any woman would be far better than being forced to live with them for another day.

He didn't understand why his friend had become so mean and cruel to him. Then he learned about class and social status. His father had been a very wealthy merchant, allowing him and his family to live a life of pleasure and ease. But then when his father left, they were thrown into the life of the poor and needy, having no money as his father had taken it all with him. They lost their house, their furniture, even their animals. And since he was no longer rich and prosperous like Evan was, the boy had turned his back on him, saying he could never be friends with a street rat.

His family's honour had been ruined and there was only one way that he knew of to earn it back: become a Knight. So, a year later after his brother had returned on an honourable discharge to care for his dependent family, he moved to the Palace to begin his training. He was a fast learner and soon found himself a Squire, and then soon after, a Knight. He enjoyed being sent all over the Kingdom, completing tasks in the name of the Queen. He had only ever seen the Queen once at his Knighting Ceremony and the stories of her being the most beautiful woman in all of Keiento was true. Even though he had only seen her for a mere few minutes, he had been awestruck by her beauty, just like every other man that entered her presence was. He had secretly wished that he could be posted at the Palace more often so that he could see her, but he was always the one called for the long distant journeys all over the Kingdom, which he didn't completely mind either. He loved riding his tall, cream-coloured stallion, Spectrum, across the long distances. He loved the feel of the wind blowing through his hair. Other Knights commented that he looked wild when the wind blew his hair around crazily, that he looked like a wild lion, thus resulting in his nickname, one that he didn't totally mind, though he wanted to be known as more than just the _Lion_.

He had never expected to run into Evan again until they were both relocated to Lorn, Evan having been trained in the comforts of his own home to become a Knight. The day that Evan had moved into the barracks was torture, making old, unhappy memories flood back into his mind. He had planned to just avoid and ignore him, but then he had crossed the line, calling his mother a "unloved, unwanted, dirty prostitute that tried to sell her body because she was so poor that it was the only way that she could survive, though no one would ever pay for her because she was too ugly." Then he had punched him. Evan had gone way to far and for no reason. He had managed to sock him a couple of good times before some of the Knights from his fleet had broken them apart, knowing that if they were caught, that he would lose everything that he had worked so hard for.

Now as he was standing outside Ironfist's door, fist poised to knock, he felt his stomach twist into a knot.

_What if I did screw it up?_ he panicked. _What if I'm about to lose everything because of that spoiled, freaking stupid jack-_ His thoughts were cut short as the door opened before him and Evan stormed out, his eyes briefly catching his, sending his a deadly glare. He watched Evan leave before turning back and timidly stepping into the large office room, slowly shutting the door behind him.

It was a spacious office, though there was not much in it. Some bookcases lined the walls and were filled with books on war and fighting tactics. In the center of the room sat a large desk that had papers neatly organized on it. Behind the desk sat a large, black chair that slowly turned around to reveal a large, intimidating man who was well into his fifties with black greying hair and slight wrinkles under his heavy dark brown eyes that were now narrowed as he stared at the new intruder of his domain.

"You summoned me, Sir?" he told the older Knight, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Yes, and you are?" the man sighed.

_Of course, he doesn't know who I am,_ he realized, slightly embarrassed. _I would never remember ever one of my Knights' names either and I've only ever actually spoken to him once before when I was relocated here._ He quickly snapped out of his thoughts, realizing that the man was still waiting for his response.

"My name is Vyron, Sir," he replied. "Vyron Queué"

"Well Vyron, today's your lucky day," Ironfist replied, flipping through the papers on his desk.

"Sir?" Vyron couldn't fathom how today was his lucky day.

"You're being relocated," Ironfist explained, looking up at him. "Pack your bags, boy. You're going to Felentia."

"You mean..." Vyron gaped.

"That's right," he laughed. "You're going back to the Palace. Now, get to your bag packing. Your fleet leaves at nightfall."


	2. Chapter 2

**My apologies on this being such a short chapter, but I promise that I will make the next one longer. Enjoy!  
**

Chapter 2

Vyron sighed as he strapped his last bag down onto his horse. He was so happy that he was finally getting out of Lorn. He disliked being so close to Decura's borders. The dark, barren Kingdom held very little life in it, its people struggling to survive under the hardships of their tyrannical ruler, King Lerren. The dark King was mad with power, his only love being wealth and riches, forcing his people to work endless hours in the mines in the mountains that lined the Kingdom's borders. But Decura had not always been such a dark and dreaded place. Its previous King, King Azzac, was a fair and just ruler, with a daughter that was as fair and kind as her father. But then tragedy stuck. The King fell ill and in his delirium married his daughter to Lerren, the son of the Duke of Treyden, a large town close to Decura's capital, Curda. Lerren had pretended to love the young Princess, but as soon as the King died, he began to show his true colours. The land became dark and void of happiness. The King locked his Queen away, never to be seen again. Some claimed that he had murdered her, others said that she was held prisoner in the Tall Tower and that if you listened closely at night that you could hear her mournful singing floating on the air.

Poor Queen Helena, Vyron sighed, looking off at the dark mountains of Decura.

"So they finally decided to kick you out, eh Lion?" a voice sneered behind him.

"Don't you have anything better to be doing, Evan?" Vyron sighed as he turned around to face his former friend. His dark red hair fell in messy curls that slightly bounced when he shook his head. His bright hazel eyes held a look of disgust as they looked down upon Vyron, his mouth curled into a sneer. His stubby nose had a slight kink in it and Vyron smiled as he realized that he may have broken it in their last fight.

"What are you so happy about, street rat?" Evan demanded.

"I finally get to get away from you," Vyron smirked. "And no, I'm not getting kicked out. I'm getting promoted. I get to go to the Palace, while you're stuck here, running training drills and scooping horse crap."

"Your lying," Evan snapped. "There's no way that you would get promoted before me."

"Your right," Vyron admitted. "I'm not getting promoted... Yet. But I'm sure that once the Queen sees me in action that I will be because yes, I am going to the Palace."

"You know what they do to liars, don't you?" Evan smirked, beckoning some of his friends over. "They get taught a lesson." He cracked his knuckles, trying to act intimidating, but Vyron just laughed.

"And here I'd thought that you had learned your lesson," Vyron replied, readying himself for a fight. "Which bone do you want me to break this time?"

"Apparently the Lion can't count," Evan laughed to his friends. "There are four of us and only one of you."

"And yet you still have the disadvantage!" Vyron exclaimed. "Maybe you should go get some more of your friends and try to make this... Somewhat even." He grinned as Evan's face flushed with anger.

That's right, Vyron thought. Get angry. When you get angry you get sloppy. The four boys began to advance on him, making Vyron take a slight step back so that his back was close to his horse. That way they would not be able to get behind him and catch him by surprise. He put up his fists, readying himself for the first blow.

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?" Ironfist's voice thundered across the yard. The boys stumbled back away from Vyron.

"Nothing, Sir," Evan said smoothly, though his fists at his side were shaking. "We were just saying goodbye to Lion, I mean Vyron." Ironfist glared at them, his eyes scrutinizing, but he finally dismissed them with a jerk of his thumb.

"All Knights and Squires are to report to the Mess Hall immediately," he announced. "But not you, Vyron. Your fleet is waiting for you by the front gate."

"Yes, Sir," Vyron slightly bowed his head to him in respect before swinging himself up into the saddle.

"Oh, and Vyron?" Ironfist called his attention back to him as he walked over to him. "Please give this to Her Majesty for me." He handed a sealed envelope to him. "Sir Harold can be a little... Forgetful at times. I had originally given this to him, but he left it in my office. I think it may be best if you were to carry it."

"Of course, Sir," Vyron said, accepting the envelope. "It would be an honour."

"Very good," Ironfist nodded. "Now, away with you! Your fleet is waiting."

Vyron nodded, turning his horse towards the direction of the front gate.

"Safe travels, Lion!" a couple voices called out as he passed by. As he neared the front gate he could see half a dozen mounted Knights waiting impatiently, a seventh Knight standing beside his grey horse at the front of the group.

"Ah, our wandering Lion has returned to us at last!" the man declared as he noticed Vyron.

"I'm sorry I'm late, Sir Harold," Vyron apologized. "Sir Fredrick wanted to speak to me before we left."

"Very well," Sir Harold sighed, stiffly climbing into his saddle. He was not as smooth as his younger charges when it came to mounting his horse, but he had the wisdom and experience to lead them. Vyron nodded to his fellow Knights as he took his position on the far right-hand side.

The gates before them opened suddenly and within a blink of an eye, their horses were storming through the gateway, eager to start their journey.

Vyron smiled with joy as the wind whipped through his hair and he could just imagine what the townsfolk were thinking as he passed by, hair flying out wildly behind him.

"There goes the Lion!"


	3. Chapter 3

_**A thousand apologies for being MIA for so long. I've just been so busy with school and work that I've barely had time to write. I will try to write more a lot more often, if I can at least once a week if not more. I may also be posting some new stories, if you want to check them out. I have a couple chapters of a Glee related story posted for any Gleeks out there. But ya, sorry again and I hope that you enjoy this new chapter!**_

_**~ Annabelle**_

Chapter 3

The sound of hooves thundering against the ground echoed through the hills as the riders made their way across the countryside. As they passed by the small farms scattered across the land, the people in the fields would look up and call out greetings to the travellers. Small children ran along the lengths of the fields, hooting and waving at the Knights. Vyron waved back at them, a light hearted chuckle slipping from his throat as he smiled, remembering back on how he had been just like them when he was younger.

He remembered running alongside the parade of Knights when they rode into his hometown, his eager eyes searching for the only face that mattered to him: his brother's. A small ache filled his heart as he thought about his brother.

_I miss him, _he realized sadly._ I miss all of them._ It had been months since he had last seen his family and he knew that his relocation to the Palace would keep him just as far from them as his stationing at Lorn had.

"It just warms your heart, doesn't it?" the voice snapped him back to the present. Vyron looked at his neighbour who sat atop a great coal black stallion. His dark amber hair hung freely down to his shoulders when it was not flickering with the gentle wind. His bright blue eyes sparkled, his grin widening as he raised his hand to wave as well. There was a sense of peace and happiness about him as he watched the children. Though he was about five years older than Vyron, they had become fast friends, connecting through their love and duty to their families.

"How long has it been," Vyron asked softly, noticing how his companion stiffened slightly but then quickly relaxed.

"It's been almost a year since I last saw him," was his quiet response.

"So Henry would have been two the last time you saw him, eh?" Vyron asked. "Just think of how big he must be by now! Maybe he'll be as tall as his father!" This got a smile from his friend.

"I certainly hope not!" he laughed. "Can you imagine me having a three year old son who's taller than me?"

"Hmmm maybe not," Vyron laughed as well. "That would be quite awkward when it came to changing his diaper!" They chuckled for a couple of minutes before falling back into silence.

"She would be proud of you, Alec," Vyron said softly. "You know that, right?"

"I know," Alec sighed. "It's just hard sometimes, raising him without her, especially since I'm away so often..."

Vyron couldn't help but feel sorry for his friend. His wife, Marissa, had passed away only weeks after their son was born. She had been very ill throughout the whole pregnancy so it was a miracle that she and the baby had even survived in the first place. Marissa had even seemed to have been getting stronger and stronger but then suddenly, out of nowhere, she got very, very sick, sicker than she ever had been before, and that time it had been too much for her and she passed away. Alec, though overrot with sorrow and depression, somehow managed to think clearly enough to realize that he needed to find someone to care for his son, since he would not be able to due to his constant relocation as a Knight. That was when he had found Juliet... Or rather she had found him. She had heard about the tragic death of his wife and offered her services as a nurse or nanny for his child. She had lost her own child only weeks after birth as the baby had been too sick to survive. Having another child of her own was not an option as her husband had been killed in action very shortly after she had become pregnant. So instead, she offered to care for Alec's son, as that was the closest that she could ever get to having a child of her own.

"I'm thinking of marrying her," Alec said suddenly.

"Juliet?" Vyron asked, slightly surprised. It was not common for someone to remarry after the death of their spouse.

"Yes," Alec nodded. "She has been the mother that Henry has always needed. She has practically raised him all by herself. I would have done it if I could have myself, but I couldn't resign from service because I needed the money to support my son. And, to be honest, I do care about Juliet too. Sometimes when I'm home, it feels like she already is a part of the family. She has just always been there and she just fits in so well... So why not make it official? Why not have her become Henry's official mother? She's been playing that part for almost all of Henry's life, so why not? It just feels right..."

"But do you love her?" Vyron asked softly.

"I think that I could grow to love her," Alec replied after a moment's thought. "If I could spend more time with her... What?" He caught Vyron's slight frown and furrowed brow.

"It's just how you said that," Vyron replied. "Grow to love her. Shouldn't you actually love her before you marry her?"

"Ahhhhhhhh," Alec exclaimed. "You are one of those people that believe you should marry for love."

"And you aren't?" Vyron retorted.

"No," Alec replied. "I think if love is meant to happen, it will happen later, once you have grown used to your spouse. You grow to love them. I don't believe in any of that 'love at first sight' nonsense."

"It's not nonsense!" Vyron snapped. "I believe it's real. And when I find it, when I know that it is real love, then I will ask her to marry me. I will not just marry someone because I think that I could fall in love with them or because they fit conveniently into my life. No, when I marry, it will be for real, true love."

"True love?" a new voice laughed. "The Lion believes in true love?"

"So what if I do, Titan?" Vyron snapped at the dark haired man that had come up beside him. Vyron scowled at the large, all-brawn-no-brain Knight as he laughed at Vyron.

"I didn't realize that our grand Lion was nothing more than just a pussy!" Titan remarked, still laughing.

"That's it!" Vyron snarled, turning his horse so that it ran into Titan's grey stallion. He reached over the horses and grabbed Titan by his tunic to pull him closer.

Vyron honestly didn't know what he would have done if Alec had not been there. Somehow he managed to pull Spectrum away from the other horse, as well as pull Vyron out of his rage of anger.

"Vyron, that's enough!" Alec snapped, grabbing his tunic and making Vyron look at him. "Do not let your anger get the best of you!"

"But he-" Vyron began to argue.

"I know," Alec cut him off. "He's a jerk and probably does deserve to be put in his place, but it is not worth getting yourself in trouble. Think of your family!" With a sigh, Vyron reluctantly released his iron grip on Titan's shirt, but not without giving him a rough shove first.

"Don't ever call me that again!" he snapped under his breath. "Or next time I will not hold back."

"Shesh, it was just a joke," Titan exclaimed. "Lighten up, Lion!" With that he urged his horse forward, leaving Alec and Vyron to themselves.

"What happened there?" Alec asked once Titan was gone. "I've never seen you snap like that before."

"I don't know," Vyron sighed. "Maybe I'm just stressed about going to the Palace."

"Oh, because the Queen will be there?" Alec smirked.

"How did you-" Vyron gaped.

"Vy, everyone falls for her," Alec laughed. "It's not hard to see why. She's beautiful, graceful, and, above all, kindhearted, just like her father, King Terian, was." Alec drew his horse closer to Vyron's to place a hand on his shoulder.

"I don't want to sound mean, but it's pointless to try to court her," Alec continued. "For one thing, she's the Queen. It's not likely that she'll let just anyone court her, and I doubt that she will let a Knight court her. Probably has to marry a Prince or a King, or at least a Duke or Lord. But a Knight? No, we are her servants. She would never fall for one of us."

"You sound like you know from experience," Vyron commented.

"Yes," Alec smiled slightly. "My first year of Knighthood I thought that I was in love with her. But then I was put in my place."

"By who?" Vyron asked.

"Lord Penton," Alec huffed. Vyron remembered the grouchy Royal Advisor. Since Queen Arya had taken the Throne at the young age of fourteen, Lord Penton had taken on the role of her guardian and chief advisor. He often tried to match Queen Arya up with some Duke or Lord in what was called a Suitor's Ball, but they had been overall unsuccessful in the two years of her reign.

Vyron pitied the young Queen. She had lost her mother and father to the horrible Unforgiving Plague that had struck Keiento two years earlier, a plague so named because it did not matter who you were, rich or poor, King or peasant, if the plague got you, there was very little chance that you would survive. The only person who had ever survived the plague was one of the old Palace Chefs, who was left completely paralyzed from the waist down, leaving him unable to do his job anymore. The man's brother, a Chef by the name of Gaston, took over his place as the head Palace Chef after it was found that his brother had been infected with the plague. Gaston's cooking was praised by everyone across Keiento. No one could resist his mouthwatering delicacies. This was one thing that Vyron was especially looking forward to once they reached the Palace.

"Whoa!" Sir Harold's voice called out from the front of their parade. All of the Knights slowed their horses down to a stop, waiting for their leader's next orders.

"We will camp here for the night," Sir Harold announced. Vyron looked around at the clearing that they had stopped in. They were only a few feet from the edge of a dark woods, which would provided them with not only a place to find wood for their campfire, but also a place to run to for cover should they be ambushed. Strategically, it was the perfect location to stop for the night.

Vyron dismounted from his horse and led it over to one of the trees nearby, securing its reigns to one of the low hanging branches. He didn't worry about Spectrum accidentally getting loose, because he knew that Spectrum was a loyal horse and would not wander off if its rope became loose. Vyron then untied the saddlebags from the saddle, opening one to peer inside. In this bag he had a rolled up sleeping mat and a blanket. Setting the bag down, he looked in the other. Inside this one he had his water flask, some pieces of wrapped up dried meat, and most of his personal belongings, like his clothes and some personal items from home. His fingers brushed gently over a small wooden ball that sat in the bottom of the bag. It was a gift from Leopold, his younger brother. He had carved the wood himself, pride beaming across his face when he had presented it to Vyron just before he had left. Vyron smiled as he reflected on the memory.

"Vy," he heard Alec call his name. He looked over his shoulder at his friend and smiled when he saw that he was carrying his bow. "You up for a little hunting?"

"I'm in," Vyron replied, quickly untying his own bow and quiver from his saddle. He slung the quiver over his shoulder, careful not to spill any of the arrows inside it, then followed Alec into the woods.


	4. Chapter 4

**Ahhhh I am a horrible person! I said that I was going to update more consistently and then I didn't! I am so sorry! I have just been so caught up on my other story, If You Only Knew, that I've neglected this one again! I am so sorry! I will try to do better with updating, I promise! But on that note, please do check out my other story. Even if you are not a Glee fan, I'd still advise checking it out because it was meant for both Glee fans and non Glee fans. I think that the story is one that anyone can enjoy and fall in love with :) **

**And now, please enjoy chapter four of The Heart of a Lion :) **

Chapter 4

Vyron crept slowly through the woods, an arrow nocked in his bow, his breathing slow and steady. He opened his senses to the world around him. He knew that just a few feet to his left, Alec crept as well, surveying the dense growth around them.

_It's quiet,_ Vyron realized suddenly. _Too quiet. Something's not right. _He let out a low, short whistle, a signal for Alec to come to him.

"What's wrong?" Alec asked in a low voice when he stood beside Vyron.

"It's too quiet," Vyron replied. "I think we should head back to camp. I have a weird feeling that something's about to happen."

"Alright," Alec shrugged, turning around towards the direction of our camp.

Vyron didn't know why he did it. Maybe it was the eery prickling sensation on the back on his neck. Or maybe he could just feel it in his bones. He didn't know what it meant, but he knew he had to act on it.

"Get down!" he cried, tackling Alec to the ground just seconds before an arrow embedded itself in a tree where he had just been standing. "We've got to get back to camp to warn everyone!" Alec cried, quickly moving himself into a low crouch.

"Go, I'll cover you," Vyron replied, nocking an arrow to his bow. He stood up and shot, a slight smile twitching on his lips when he heard it hit its mark. Behind him, he could hear Alec hurrying away back towards the camp. Vyron quickly made his way backwards towards the same location, another arrow already nocked and ready.

Vyron could feel the shift in atmosphere as he stepped clear of the woods. Cautiously turning around, he became witness to the battle before him. Alec had arrived too late to warn the others, though they still seemed to be holding out okay, especially since they didn't know that it had been coming.

Looking around, Vyron could see that they were horribly outnumbered. There were only eight of them while there were almost twenty of their large, burly attackers.

Vyron spotted Alec fighting two of the burly men just a short distance away, a third one sneaking up behind him. Vyron let his arrow fly, watching as it sunk into the third man's chest right where his heart would be.

_If he even has a heart_, Vyron spat, pulling his sword out of its sheath and joining Alec.

Alec wasn't doing too bad holding his own against the two men, though Vyron could tell that he was starting to wear down. The endless, strong blows of the attackers' weapons were slowly ebbing Alec's strength away. Alec faltered for a second and his attackers wasted no time in exploiting this weakness. One swung high, while the other swung low. There was no way that he could block them both in time. Luckily, he didn't have to.

Vyron had now crept up behind one of the burly men and quickly put a deep slice in the back of his leg. Angered, the man roared as he turned around to face Vyron, leaving Alec with only one attacker to deal with.

Vyron could have easily just stabbed the man in the back, but that would have been unfair and cheat, and he would never allow himself to stoop to that level of cowardice. It was better to face your enemy straight on and risk dying, than to stab a man in the back when he was not looking. These men might be the kind to do that, but Vyron was not.

"Come on, you blubbery lardhead!" Vyron taunted. "Come and get me!" The man roared again, swinging his axe-like weapon at Vyron. Vyron just laughed as he easily stepped out of harms way.

"What, is that the best you've got?" he laughed. The man's face turned a deep shade of red and he let out a loud bellow as he charged at Vyron. Once again, Vyron stepped nimbly out of the large man's way.

_That's right,_ he smiled to himself. _Get angry. _

One of the first things that he was taught as a Knight was to keep his temper. If you were to lose your temper during a battle, you were basically done for. You needed to keep a cool, collected head when fighting, using strategy and technique rather strength and brutality. And this was Vyron's strategy.

"Over here, you overgrown ape!" Vyron called from behind his opponent. The man spun around, anger and rage seething in his face as he glared at Vyron. A small, almost unnoticeable smirk crept onto the man's face, only for a second, and once again he raised his weapon-wielding arm and charged. Vyron stood firmly planted as he watched the man getting closer and closer. The man started to swinging his weapon and Vyron heard someone scream his name. In one swift movement, he threw himself to the side, rolling for a second before leaping back up to his feet. He turned just in time to watch the man that had been sneaking up on him and his original opponent collide, each of their weapons impaling themselves in their comarade. They stood motionless for a second before both collapsed to the ground, dead.

_That'll teach you to lose your anger,_ he thought with a smug smirk.

But he did not have time to think upon the foolishness of his attackers, because his attention was quickly turned back on the fight still commencing behind him. Their attackers' numbers had dwindled down to fourteen, which was still almost two times their number. Luckily, none of their men had fallen.

Vyron quickly rejoined the fighting, running to aid Titan against his opponents.

"You take left, I'll take right," he yelled over the loud noises of weapons clashing. Vyron nodded, turning his attention on the man in front of him. He was tall and bulky, muscles rippling over his overly huge arms. His long hair was a dark shade of brown and was horribly unkept. He wore bearskin clothes which, with his thick, bushy beard, made him look like an animal himself.

"Whatcha got, bear fuzz?" he challenged, readying himself for the fight. The overgrown beast smiled a wickedly horrid smile as he pulled out his huge, stone hammer, its size being as big as Vyron's head. Vyron felt the blood drain from his face as he looked at the horrible weapon before him.

"Wanna switch?" he called over to Titan, dodging the now swinging hammer.

"A little busy right now!" he hollered back, blocking his opponent's sword. Vyron sighed, turning his attention back on his opponent, just barely able to duck out of the way in time of his still swinging mallet.

"Missed me, missed me, now ya gotta-" Vyron was cut off as he ducked under another swing.

"That all ya got?" he taunted, readying himself for the next swing. But the next swing never came. A stunned look crossed his face and he began to sway before suddenly toppling to the ground. Vyron looked up and saw Titan pulled a bloodied sword out of the man's back.

"That's bad sportsmanship," Vyron remarked with a frown.

"Look around, Lion," Titan exclaimed. "They've got us outnumbered! _That's _bad sportsmanship!"

"It's still not right to stab someone in the back," Vyron argued. "That's cowardly."

"I'd rather be a coward than be _dead_!" Titan huffed, turning away from Vyron and going back to join the battle. Vyron sighed as he watched Titan bludgeon another man from behind. He was worried about him.

"What kind of Knight would rather stab a man in the back than fight him honourably face-to-face?" Vyron shook his head. "Definitely not an honourable one. I will have to speak with Sir Harold about this."

Turning his attention back on the battle, Vyron scoured the field looking for someone who needed help. They were almost down to an equal number on each side, though some Knights were still stuck fighting two men at once. One of those Knights was Alec. Vyron quickly hurried towards his friend, ready to bring him aid.

Looking back on this moment, Vyron would later wish that he had somehow been quicker, that he had gotten their sooner. For as he was running, Vyron watched with helpless horror as one of Alec's attackers thrust his sword into Alec's chest, the long blade going right through his body and coming out the other side. Alec's own sword dropped to the ground as his attacker brutally pulled his weapon from Alec's body and watched as Alec slumped to the ground.

Anger flared through Vyron's eyes and sudden strength filled him as he charged towards the man, letting out a viciously loud roar that his comrades later told him sounded just like a_ Lion_.


End file.
